Amusement device.



PATENTED 0017.22. 1907.

Nog-869,083.

H. C. HEBIG. AMUSBMMITDEVICE. APPLICATION FILE-D JULY 26, 1907.

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, IIBEEEIII No. 869,083. PATENTED OCT. 22. 1907.

H. G. HEBIG.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLGATION FILED JULY 26, 1907v l 4 SHEHTR-SHEET 3.

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H- 0. HEBIG.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY ze. 1907.

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entran strates rafrnnfr onirica HARRY C. HEBIG, OF OLOSTER, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO MICHAEL SOHROEDER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

Specication of Letters Patent.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, HARRY CONRAD HEBIG, a citif r/ien of the United States, residing at Oloster, in the county of Bergen and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Devices, of which the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to amusementl devices and more particularly to a novel form of passenger carrier, and to a novel form of inclined way on which such carrier shall travel, such carrier and way being used for purposes of recreation.

In the drawings illustrating the principle of my invention and the best mode now known to me of applying that principle. Figure l is a side elevation of my apparatus, the track or way being shown partly in section; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the track or way, the various positions the carrier will take on its journey being shown in dotted lines; Figs. 3 and 4 are, respectively, a top view and a side elevation of the carrier; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the interior ball, the flame work being broken away; Fig. G is an enlarged vertical section of one of the supporting l'eet of the frame; Figs. 7 and 8 are. respectively, a side elevation and a plan of a modification where the principle of my invention is shown adapted to a carrier in the form of an elephant; Fig. 9 is a detail hereinafter described, and Figs. l0. .l1 and l2 illustrate modihcationshereinafter referred t0.

ln the drawings, A indicates a ball, provided with a surrounding frame B inclosing the ball, but not fast thereto and carrying a suitable platform C and the seats D.

The ball A is made of any suitable material as wood or metal, and is as perfect in contour as is possible. The

frame work B is composed of several meridional bars' B/ almost encircling the ball vertically and forming platforin-supporting standards. These bars are preferably made oi light angle iron as shown and are held in position by horizontal bands b b and the buffer band B.

rlhe buffer band is best made wide so as to give a suitable resisting surface, and it is placed on the supporting frame at a height corresponding to the height of the directing side rail of the track.

The bars B do not entirely encircle the ball, but terminate at same distance above the fioor. They are provided with depending feet E having rollers for contact with the fioor of the inclined way on which the carrier is intended to move.

While l may use any form of swiveled roller for the foot of the carrier, l preferably useithe form shown in Fig. G. This consists of a plunger F fitti ng in the recess g of a shell Gr.

The plunger is provided with a centering .rod f which moves up and down in a socket g in continuation of the recess g. In the recess g beneath the plunger is the spring f against whose pressure the plunger acts. Held in a hemispherical recess g2, in the lower end of the shell G by an inwardly turned cap H, is a ball I which forms the roller for the foot. Between the ball I and the shell G are a number of antifriction balls t' held in place by a ring if. The object of this yielding loot E will be stated hereinafter.

Between the frame-bars B and the ball are mounted the anti-friction rollers or balls K held in suitable sockets It' on the bars. As a consequence of this construction the ball A has freedom of movement in all directions with the minimum of friction, and is held directly in the center of the frame work surrounding it. Referring to Figs. l and 2, L indicates the floor of an inclined runway L suitably supported, along which it is intended the ball A shall roll carrying with it the frame work B. Though the Hoor of the runway is inclined, yet the passengers on the carriage will be supported in a horizontal plane by the spring feet E, the spring collapsing at the rear where there is most pressure, and expanding at the front.

In order that the carrier A may not have a simple rolling movement down the incline, but that its motion may be of twisting or wabbling character, I construct the way with offsets, or zigzag deflections in its length. In this instance the runway is provided with deflecting side-walls M against which the carrier B will bump and turn. The side walls have, preferably, a rail N arranged as shown in Fig. l, wherein it forms the top of the side walls M of the incline. These dclecting side-walls M are set at various angles to the central line of the way, the line of one wall preferably not being parallel to that of the other.

As shown in Fig. 2 the deflecting rails altern atcly converge and diverge, by which offsets or bends are formed to intercept the passenger carrier.

The buffer band B2 on the carrier is at a height corresponding to the rail N, and this band strikes the rail, when the carrier B in its course bumps against the sides M of the way.

The operation of my invention will be evident from the foregoing and the drawing The caiiielbearing a number of passengers moves down the incline turning and wabbling in its course; and as it does so it contacts with the deflecting walls M which deflect the carrier at various angles and gives it rotation in varying directions, as indicated by the arrows, Fig. 2.

Though I have shown in Figs. l, 4, and 5 a carrier whose supporting bars converge at the bottom, I do not wish to be limited to this exact contour of the frame, as they might be at a different angle to the horizontal plan ofthe carrier, after the manner indicated in Figs. 7 and 8 wherein I have shown the platform-supporting frame as in the form of an elephant, the platform being supported in the manner of a howdah, and the supporting legs of the frame being substantially vertical,

I may use a plurality of balls for each foot I as shown in Fig, 7 instead of the one ball shown in Fig. G.

It will be noted that the platform supporting frame is almost entirely supported by the interior ball A, the feet E being merely used to keep the frame work in stable equilibrium. The ball A may be decorated in any manner desired, and the frame work may be of any configuration or form adapted to the purpose.

I do not wish to limit myself to any of the details shown as the spirit of my invention may be embodied in many forms.

In Figs. l0 and ll I have shown another modified form ot my invention, wherein the seats D are mounted upon a frame O supported by the bands b which are in turn supported by the meridional bars B. The latter inclose the usual ball A. The lower part of the frame O is a ring P adapted to bump against the rail Q which is bolted directly to the loor of the run-way. This construction has the merit that the side-walls M are dispensed with and there is no leverage effect, as is the case when the part receiving the bump or thrust is raised high above the floor. Further, the center of gravity of the whole apparatus is lowered which conduces to stability in movement and to safety in operation. Again, the passengers have a clear view of the run-way. A suitable railing R is mounted upon the ring P in front of the seats D. The lower face of the ring P is provided with casters I/ which may be of any suitable construction.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. l() and Il, the floor is provided near the rail with inclined blocks S the function of which is to engage under the ring P and raise the latter', thereby tipping the frame O towards the other side of the runway. Further, these blocks start an oscillation of the frame on the ball A and produce an exhilarating see-saw movement of the frame. The floor T is not only inclined in a general downward direction but it is also given an inclination first to one side of the runway and then to the other. The result is that the apparatus as a whole is given a combined rotatory and wabbling motion in its downward course from side to side of the runway, the casters in succession striking against the iioor and rebounding therefrom.

In Fig, 12, a modilied form of the rail is shown. In this case the rail consists of a channel iron U bolted to the floor and a plate V mounted in front of the channel iron and provid ed with a shank W which passes through the Aside of the channel iron U and is headed to hold it in place against the tension of the coil spring X mounted upon it. When the ring P strikes the plate V, the spring X is compressed and thereby stores up the energy of impact, which is later given out in the expansion of the spring and used to impel the apparatus towards the other side of the runway.

I claim.

1. The combination ot a runway provided with deflect,- ng walls on each side which alternatelyv converge and diverge to and from each other, whereby said walls are formed with alternate inward]y-projecting bends; and a passenger carrier adapted to move along said track and be intercepted by said bends.

2. The combination ot' a runway provided with dellect ing walls on cach side which alternately converge and diverge, whereby said walls are formed with alternate i11- wardly-projecting bends; a passenger' platform; a framework supporting the same; and a ball within and supporting said framework.

3. The combination with an inclined runway, of a ball adapted for movement thereon, a platform-supporting frame work fitting on said ball, and feet on said framework adapted to come in contact with the runway to balance the frame-work.

et. The combination with an inclined runway, of a ball adapted for movement thereon, a platform-supporting framework supported by said ball, and yieidingly-mounted feet attached to said frame-work for contact with the runway. y

5. In combination, a ball, a frame-work supported by the'ball, legs for balancingthe frame-work on the ball, and passenger seats carried by said frame-work.

G. In combination, a platform-supporting framework, a ball within and supporting the same: anti-friction roll ers between the ball and the framework, and moans for balancing the frame-work.

T. In combination, a platform-supporting frame-work, a ball within and supporting the same; anti-friction rollers between the ball and the said frame-work. legs on the frame-work for balancing the same on the ball, and spring' feet on the legs.

S. In combination, a platform-supporting framework, and a ball within said frame-work. supporting the same and free to rotate therein in every direction, said frameA work being made in the shape of an animal.

f). The combination of a runway having a iloor and a detlecting rail fastened on each side thereof and in close proximity thereto; and a passenger-carrying frame the base portion of which is adapted to bump against said rails and be deiiected thereby.

10. The combination with a runway having zig'ag dellecting side walls of a passenger carrier adapted to move freely on said runway, and provided with a buller band for contact with said walls.

l1. The combination with a runway havingl zigzag de- (lecting' side walls, ot' a passenger' carrier adapted to move freely on said runway, and provided with a buffer band encircling the carrier horizontally for contact with said walls.

12. The combination with a runway. and a dellecting rail thereon, of a passenger carrier adapted to move freely on said runway and provided at its base with a buffer band for Contact with said delccting rail.

13. The combination with a runway, and a dellecting rail thereon, of a passenger carrier adapted to move freely on said runway, the same consisting of a platiOrm-supporting frame-work, a ball moving freely therein in any direction; and a buffer band encircling the framework horizontally at the height of said deflecting rail.

il. The combination with an inclined runway, of a passenger' carrier in the shape of an animal, and a ball which is held within the said carrier and upon which the latter is supported and moves.

15. The combination `with a runway provided with a iioor which has a general downward inclination lengthwise, and which inclines first to one side and then to the other side of said runway throughout its lengthy of a passenger carrier freely movable down and from side to side ol' said runway.

16. The combination with a runway and a passenger carrier freely movable down and from side to side of the same, of a rail mounted along the sides of said runway and provided with yielding devices for storing the energy of impact.

17. The combination with a runway and a passenger' carrier freely movable down and from side to side of the same, of a rail mounted along the sides of said runway and provided with inclined blocks for tilting` said carrier.

18. The combination with a runway and a passenger In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand at New York city, N. Y., this twenty-fifth day of July, 1907, in the presence of the two undersigned witnesses.

HARRY C. HEBIG.

Witnesses JAMES HAuILToN, hIICHi-mn SCHROEDER. 

